ATLANTA -- Coca-Cola Co., H.J. Heinz Co., Nike Inc. and Procter & Gamble Co. are teaming up to accelerate the development and use of plant-based plastic.

The Coca-Cola-led partnership -- called the Plant PET Technology Collaborative -- will support new technologies and focus on researching and developing commercial solutions for 100% plant-based PET. It also will work to develop common practices and standards for using plant-based plastics, including life-cycle analyses and universal terminology.

All of the companies use PET plastic (polyethylene terephthalate) in products ranging from bottles and clothing to shoes and automotive fabric and carpet.

The initiative builds on Atlanta-based Coke's "PlantBottle" packaging technology launched in 2009, which is partially made from plant materials. Heinz, based in Pittsburgh, licenses Coke's PlantBottle technology for use in its ketchup bottles.

In December, Coke announced that it was making a multimillion dollar investment in three biotech firms to fuel the development of an entirely plant-based PET bottle. | SEE STORY